TrackPoint

IBM TrackPoint The TrackPoint is IBMs name for the stick that sits between the g, h and b keys of the keyboard. It is used as a pointing device and hence as an alternative to an external mouse or a touchpad. What sets it apart from devices found in notebooks of other manufacturers is that it has no moving parts. It works using a solid state strain gauge. Its tap-to-click feature, which means that you can tap the stick to do a left click instead of using the left mouse button, is also handy.

Modern kernels (after Oct 2005) fully support the TrackPoint.

Configuration

If you are using GNOME, you might want to use configure-trackpoint as a graphical frontend.

• Have a look at How to configure the TrackPoint.

Obsolete notes

The TrackPoint uses the PS/2 interface, so it is supported by the standard psaux mouse input driver included in the Linux kernel.

Modern kernels (after Oct 2005), also support TrackPoint-specific support is also part of the regular PS/2 Mouse support.

Note that the "IMPS/2" driver of the X server is incompatible with most TrackPoints. You'll have to use "PS/2" in the protocol option of your input section if your mouse pointer always jumps to the lower left corner of the screen. This seems to be solved with the T4x generation of ThinkPads.

To make use of advanced features like configuring sensitivity or enabling "tap-to-click" there are different solutions available depending on the kernel you are using.

• For 2.6.14rc1 and newer (Oct 2005), TrackPoint support is part of the regular PS/2 Mouse support.
• For older 2.6 kernels, you can get the Patch to enable advanced trackpoint configuration.
• For older 2.4 type kernels it is recommended to use the Linux Trackpoint utilities.

Models featuring this Technology

TrackPoint

• ThinkPad 220 (if that's what the original trackpoint is)

TrackPoint II

• 350, 350C, 355, 355CS, 355C
• 360, 360CS, 360C, 360P, 360CSE, 360CE, 360PE
• 370C
• 500, 510CS
• 555BJ
• 720, 720C
• 700, 700C
• 750, 750CS, 750C, 750P
• 755CS, 755C

TrackPoint III

• 310, 310D, 310E, 310ED
• 345CS, 345C
• 365CS, 365C, 365CSD, 365CD, 365E, 365ED, 365X, 365XD
• 380, 380D, 380E, 380ED, 380XD, 385D, 385ED, 385XD
• 535, 535E, 535X
• 560, 560E, 560X
• 701C, 701CS
• 755CSE, 755CE, 755CX, 755CV, 755CD, 755CDV
• 760L, 760LD, 760C, 760CD, 760EL, 760ELD, 760E, 760ED, 760XL, 760XD, 765L, 765D
• 820, 850, 860

TrackPoint IV

• 240, 240X
• 380Z, 390, 390E, 390X
• 560Z, 570, 570E
• 600, 600E, 600X
• 770, 770E, 770ED, 770X, 770Z
• i Series 1124, i Series 1157, i Series 1200, i Series 1210, i Series 1230, i Series 1250, i Series 1260, i Series 1300, i Series 1330, i Series 1370, i Series 1400, i Series 1410, i Series 1411, i Series 1412, i Series 1420, i Series 1421, i Series 1422, i Series 1441, i Series 1442, i Series 1450, i Series 1451, i Series 1452, i Series 1460, i Series 1472, i Series 1480, i Series 1482, i Series 1483, i Series 1492, i Series 1500, i Series 1512, i Series 1540, i Series 1541, i Series 1542, i Series 1552, i Series 1560, i Series 1562, i Series 1592, i Series 1620, i Series 1700, i Series 1720, i Series 1721, i Series 1780, i Series 1781, i Series 1800
• A20m, A20p, A21e, A21m, A21p, A22e, A22m, A22p, A30, A30p, A31, A31p, A275, A285, A475, A485
• G40, G41, G50
• Template:R14, Template:R15, R30, R31, R32, R40, R40e, R50, R50e, R50p, R51, R51e, R52, R60, R60e, R60i, R61, R61e, R61i, R400, R480, R490, R500, R580, R590
• S30, S31
• T14, T14s, T15, T20, T21, T22, T23, T30, T40, T40p, T41, T41p, T42, T42p, T43, T43p, T60, T60p, T61, T61p, T400, T400s, T410, T410i, T410s, T410si, T420, T420i, T420s, T420si, T430, T430i, T430s, T430si, T430u, T431s, T440, T440s, T440p, T450, T450s, T460, T460s, T460p, T470, T470s, T470p, T480, T480s, T490, T490s, T495, T495s, T500, T510, T510i, T520, T520i, T530, T530i, T540p, T550, T560, T570, T580, T590
• X1, X1 Carbon, X1 Carbon G2, X1 Carbon G3, X1 Carbon G4, X1 Carbon G5, X1 Carbon G6, X1 Carbon G7, X1 Carbon G8, X1 Extreme, X1 Extreme G2, X1 Hybrid, X13, X20, X21, X22, X23, X24, X30, X31, X32, X40, X41, X41 Tablet, X60, X60s, X60 Tablet, X61, X61s, X61Ls, X61 Tablet, X100e, X120e, X121e, X130e, X131e, X140e, X200, X200s, X200 Tablet, X201, X201i, X201s, X201si, X201 Tablet, X201i Tablet, X220, X220i, X220 Tablet, X220i Tablet, X230, X230i, X230s, X230 Tablet, X230i Tablet, X240, X240s, X250, X260, X270, X280, X300, X301, X390, X395
• Z60m, Z60t, Z61e, Z61m, Z61p, Z61t
• TransNote

External Sources

• IBM's page on configuring the third TrackPoint button under Linux (Note -- link was dead on 2 Dec 2007, replaced with Wayback link)

• Thinkpad Scroll Daemon Use the middle mouse button on a Trackpoint keyboard for scrolling in Linux.